Time To Take Control Of Your Personal Finances? Here Is Where To Start With No Strings Attached Credit Report and Credit Score
Let me be the first to pat you on the back, deciding to take control of your personal finances is the first step in having firm control of your personal finances. The second is you need to find out where you stand, get the picture of where you stand with creditors and debtors and that is where the credit game can already start to get overwhelming.
To get a good look at your credit standing you will need your individual current credit report so you have a list of who has debits against you, whom you have made financial agreements with, you’re standing with them and any possible errors that would help you to correct on your record. If you google “free credit report” trusty me, there will be a tsunami of companies who say free, but nearly all have a catch, watch out.
But keep your cards in your wallet today, your going to see your full credit report, for better or for worse, for no charge at all, thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 also known as FACTA, you are legally entitled to one actually, really, completely and with no B.S. free credit report every year, nice right?
AnnualCreditReport.com, (I will post the link below) is where you have three options to go about getting your free credit report, over the phone at (877) 322–8228, or the online option with the form that on their website or good old-fashioned snail mail, I opted to send in my request form via the postal service.
Keep in mind that although your credit report has all the debits and credits and charges and payments that all accumulate and translate into your credit score, your credit report will not actually contain or list your actual credit score. Good to know, but kind of bummer.
Since we are in a frugal state of mind I found out how you can get your credit score, those 3 numbers that have a whole lot of power over your financial outlook, once again, free of charge. Yay! Discover is a credit card company that offers you your “Credit Scorecard” which has your credit score without being a customer of their services or paying anything (I will link below) they also offer to check what credit cards you are eligible for without damaging your credit like a lot of credit checks often do.
So if this is your year to dive into your personal finances and take charge (like myself) then good for you! I wish you the very best of luck on your financial endeavors and hopefully we can all come a little closer to stability and even prosperity.
Links:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action Free Annual Credit Report
https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/help-center/faqs/free-fico.html Discover Free Scorecard Credit Score
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/credit-reports-and-scores/ The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Information on Credit & Credit scores
